T - Red wine (soft Cabernet) character is the first flavor with some tannin, grape, light cherry, and some oak. It has a mild sour, vinegar character but is more crisp and tart rather than just sour but there is some sweetness. Much more complex than I had assumed but thin and more refreshing than a flavorful beer.

M - Light mouth-feel with moderate carbonation. The sourness and the low ABV make this beer more of a pairing beer than a drinking beer.

Overall, a decent beer and probably a perfect example of the style but not a style that I prefer. It really just reminds me of a cheap Cabernet wine with low alcohol and low body with some sourness. I would much rather have a DIPA or RIS but for a warm summer day with a sharp cheese I could see this beer winning out over a stout. I think this would be a good one to try if you are curious about sours since it isn't too sour but pretty complex.

Did a blind side by side with Half Pints' Old Red Barn. Half Pint's was far and away the winner. Rodenbach was cloudy with a distinctly artificial cherry note and not much sourness. Muddled compared to their modern local contemporary... (237 characters)

750 ml bottle, with no apparent bottled on or vintage date present. My first encounter with a bottle of Rodenbach, my first encounter with a Flanders Red Ale, and I figure this is as good a place as any to start. "75% young ale, 25% ale matured for two years". Bottle lists a 5.20% abv.

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

A - It pours a dark bloody ruby body with some slight hues of brown. Around two fingers of frothy khaki head with good retention, and leaves behind some nice scattered lacing. Looks good.

S - Initially earthy, woodsy, musty, and with a distinct barrel / wet cork type smell to it, but I mean that in a pleasant way. Notes of cherries & raspberries, with a slight chalkiness.

T - Taste follows the nose - woodsy, earthy, and with just the right amount of sour / tart. Fruity cherry / raspberry esque tartness. Good woody barrel notes, and a slight hint of vanilla imparted. Very nice.

refreshing and tangy, with a fluctuating (im pretty sure), but well hidden abv. one of the original examples of the style in my opinion, one of the best. dark red color to it and a lively tan head with excellent lace and retention. it smells puckery but more on the vinegar side of lacto than the citric side, which is fine in this instance because its balanced by sweeter amber malt and a nice buttery nutty front end that only eventually and reluctantly gives way to the acidity. clean and bright in feel though, shaking its weighty start and finishing really quite expressive and delicate for what it is. way more drinkable than the grand cru, with notes of dried fruit and molasses still in this one, but its so much more approachable, especially for the uninitiated. top quality stuff, but everything from rodenbach is. (824 characters)

I'm really crazy about the Grand Cru so thought to give the Red classic a try. Some barnyard/earthy scents. Also a touch of sulfur scents. Flavor is tart yet malty. Kinda simple and not much complexity. Not the most flavorful of the Flanders Red style but still an ok option for reasonable price. Not really interested in buying again. (341 characters)

Bought this on clearance for $1. Thinking it is pretty old. Poured dark like a Coke. Aroma is slightly boozy with some apple fruitiness. Mild flavor. It has a sharp bite on the tip of the tongue, followed by some apple flavors. Actually taste pretty good. Not sure what it would taste fresh, but not bad old. (308 characters)

Almost like a fruit soda pop. Smell like sweet malts taste like esters from the yeast. The hop presence for me was non existent. There is a slight acidic twang. Very enjoyable and very different from what I expected. The beer is complex and highly drinkable. (278 characters)

A: Murky brick brown. Not much of a head. Poured it into a wine glass.

S: Estery. Some cherries and tea.

T: Cherries, black tea, acidic fruit, half and half, raisins, yeast, and some oak. Not bad but the flavors aren't as sharp as I'd like them to be. I'm getting a bit of a watered down version of a really good beer.

M: Creamy and not much carb. Not heavy but buttery and light.

O: Not too impressed since I expected the taste to jump out more like the Grand Cru did. Still an excellent beer and worth buying if you can get it in the little singles like I did. (569 characters)

(S)- Bright aromas of cherry and raspberry and strawberry with the slightest dry oaky funk to it.

(T)- Slight oaky funk combined with a great dryness throughout. Great slightly tart vinegar and fruit kick and the end.

(M)- A nice carbonation level and balance. A very easy drinking/milder flanders.

(O)- This is a drinking Flanders. One of those you would always have a bottle on hand when you are in the mood for one. Milder, but shows more fruit than sour acidity. While I will say I prefer the grand cru, this is still quite good. (665 characters)

In the front, there’s a combination of apple and cranberry juice with hints of tartness, but that quickly subsides onto musty and funky red grapes. A gentle caramel and malt sweetness in the middle, then it dries off leaving that lingering funk and wood.

The front of the palate impresses, but that quickly goes away. A decent step behind the Grand Cru. (519 characters)

330ml bottle dated best before 10/14/2015. Pours into a Lindemans flute a dark ruby color, reminiscent of cranberry juice. Barely off-white head with just the slightest tan hue. Head quickly drops into a thin crown, but that sticks around. Moderate but consistent lacing.

Aroma is very fruity and tart. Sour cherry and plum mostly, but a nice touch of candied sweet cherry as well. Passion fruit. Oak. A ton of fruit flavors going on, but little malt or hops. Slight spicy phenols.

Flavor is similar to the aroma in that it is a complex assortment of fruit. A tart red wine/cherry fruitiness blends well with caramelized sugar flavors, sweet cherries, and a touch of vanilla from the oak. Sweet up front with a tart finish, with just a little bit of spice thrown in at the very end.

Rodenbach is a wonderful beer. I really love Flanders Reds, but I've only had a few in the past, so it's hard for me to evaluate this to style. Nonetheless, it is absolutely delicious. (1,102 characters)

Flanders red ale has stolen my heart. When they project a drier and more pungent sour character, they are among the best of all beer of the sour family. But its the cherry, kettle caramelization and barrel that work in tandem with the resident microflora to give these beers such distinctive charm.

Tantalizing sourness tethers through a more robust taste and balancing sweetness to place the nose and early palate completely under its spell. Its candied cherry upstart is wrapped in a blanket of caramelized sugars, cellar-like must and berry wine.

But its the wild display that blossoms across the middle that really takes back the senses with oddly compelling tastes that boarder on cider and oak, tobacco and leather, merlot and balsamic, brine and copper... the complex descriptors seem to go forever; playing out on a semi-sweet but intensely acidic palate.

Appearance is nice. Brownish red color. I like the smell a lot. Hard to describe. The taste is excellent. This is my first sour beer. Buying it I didn't know it was a sour beer. The initial taste is good. A cider lite oak taste. I like the aftertaste a lot. I would drink this beer again. (288 characters)